About 200 people attended the rally in Raglan to protest against the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). The Raglan rally on Saturday 8th November was the first of several international rallies against the agreement. The Raglan rally started at 9.30am with music by Cornerstone Roots and other local musos, on the Bow St Jetty.
The musical prelude was followed by people highlighting the risks and dangers to New Zealand of the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement. Angeline Greensill, Malibu Hamilton and Evelien Gilbert all gave their views on the TPPA.
The speeches were followed at about 10.30am by a march up Bow St to the Town Hall and then back to the Jetty. Some of placards carried by the marchers had a simple message such as Kāore No !, while others objected to GMO food or highlighted the secretive nature of the TPPA negotiations saying TPPA Secrecy is not democracy. The Whaingaroa Maori Wardens provided road safety services for the event.
210 signed the petition to ask regional council to adopt a policy on TPPA and many at the rally didn’t get round to signing it, so the number was probably over 300 – over 1 in 10 of Raglan’s population, showing the concern that seabed mining, oil drilling, etc may well be protected by TPPA.
Well said, John.
Raglan/Whaingaroa, you ROCK! It was great to see so many people at the rally and on the march. Let’s get even more signatures on those petitions — and don’t forget to take the actions listed on the web site under the TakeAction tab at http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz , too!
Wow! Raglan! Well done! Must have been a vast % of the population there
and those petitions are now at Whaingaroa Environment Centre and Trade Aid. http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/local-government/ gives the background to them.